Epiphany
by crystal720
Summary: When Santana's handsome and charming new neighbor develops feelings for her, she struggles with wanting to reciprocate the same feelings, not knowing why, until she meets someone very close to him.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi guys. So I've developed another Dantana story! If you haven't checked my update, I'm going on a small haitus with Continued Beginnings until I get more ideas on how to continue the story. Until then, I'll be working on this new fic and I hope you guys like it :) So here's Chapter 1 and I hope you like it.**

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Santana was startled out of her sleep from her obnoxious alarm clock at 5am on the first day of her junior year. Even though classes didn't start until 8:15, her cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester sent out a mass email about a week ago to all of the Cheerios stating that she wanted them all to be at school on the field, ready for practice at 6am sharp or else. She called her best friends Quinn and Brittany and they all complained for about an hour on the phone. Since when do they have practice on the first day of school? Sue was definitely trying to kill them.

Santana groaned as she slapped her hand down on the alarm clock that sat on the night stand and stood up to stretch. She sluggishly walked out of her room and into the bathroom to get ready.

By 5:30, she was ready to go, with her Cheerios uniform on, back pack slung over her shoulder, and a granola bar in hand. She grabbed her car keys from the hook by the front door and left quietly, knowing her parents were still asleep.

Once she was settled in her car, she dug into her backpack to retrieve her cell phone to text Quinn and Brittany to let them know she was leaving for practice. After sending the text, she received a new message. It was from Brian, a guy who just moved to Lima at the beginning of the summer and was starting at McKinley this year.

Coincidentally, his parents knew Santana's and when they found out Brian and his family were in town, they invited them over for dinner one night and the rest went on from there.

Santana thought Brian was a cool guy. He was slightly taller than her, with dark hair and light skin. He had light brown eyes, a freckled face, and a dimple in his chin that Santana thought was cute, but she'd never admit that to him. He was a smart guy who had a promising future, but he didn't come off as a nerd. As the summer went along, Santana could tell Brian was developing feelings for her. They hung out a few times and texted, since her parents thought it would be a good idea to take down his number, and he flirted, leaving not so subtle hints.

Her parents insisted on her showing him around Lima so he can get to know the place better. She didn't want to do it, but they practically made her and she didn't have a choice. They were in her ear about being good neighbors and crap about how it was the right thing to do. So she did as she was told. At first she acted like a complete bitch toward him. She didn't like her parents forcing her to do things she didn't want to do, so she took it out on him. Brian was a nice guy, but he didn't take anyone's crap. He eventually told Santana about herself, which surprised her. People her age, especially guys, rarely stood up to her and her ways, so when Brian got enough of Santana's rudeness and told her off, she respected him for it and learned that he was a decent guy.

**_Brian: Morning, gorgeous. Have a good practice and I'll see you later at school. _**

Santana shook her head as a smile tugged at the corners of her lips. These morning texts were starting to come more frequently. They were nice, but Santana was confused about her feelings for Brian. Sure she liked him as a friend; there was no doubt that they were friends. But when he flirted with her and called her beautiful and gorgeous, Santana didn't know how to respond or react. The thought of having a romantic relationship with Brian crossed her mind once or twice, but there was something missing, and she didn't know what it was. It was a constant struggle. It was like putting together a 1,000 piece puzzle and realizing there's one piece missing right in the center that throws it all off. The puzzle won't be complete without all of its pieces. She quickly replied and shoved her phone back into her bag before starting the car and heading out the driveway to school.

Santana arrived to McKinley High ten minutes before 6. As she parked her car, she spotted Quinn and Brittany walking toward the football field. She honked her horn to get their attention before she exited her car and called for them. "Q, Britt, wait up!"

They turned to see their best friend jogging toward them. "Hey San," they said in unison once Santana caught up to them.

"Hey guys. Ready for practice?"

Quinn groaned. "No. I want to sleep. Why on earth do we have practice on the first day of school? This is insane," she complained. "Why does Sylvester insist on making our lives hell?

"Because she's a miserable old bat who has nothing else better to do with her life," Santana answered coldly.

"Is that so, Sandbags?"

The trio paused in their tracks when they heard the familiar voice of their cheerleading coach behind them. Santana rolled her eyes and cursed herself for not being more aware of her surroundings when talking about her coach. Sylvester was everywhere.

"Nope. Just joking, coach," the Latina responded. They watched as their coach continued walking toward the field with her megaphone and whistle, still stuck in their spots.

"Unless there's super glue under your shoes, I suggest you three strippers get to the field within the next four minutes unless you'd like to run an extra five laps during warm up," Sue reported as she walked with her back to the girls.

With that said, the Unholy Trinity put some pep in their step as they made their way to the field for practice.

Practice was over at 7:45, which gave the girls 30 minutes to shower and get ready for class. Once Santana was done showering and getting dressed, Brian texted her asking where she was. She replied, telling him she'll meet him by the cafeteria.

"Guys, I'll see you later. I'm gunna go meet Brain by the cafeteria before class starts," Santana told Quinn and Brittany.

"Oooh, Brian," Quinn cooed with a smirk.

Santana rolled her eyes. "Can it Fabray."

"Sanny, are you and Brian dating yet?" Brittany asked.

"Who said anything about me and Brian dating or going to date?" The darker girl responded back quickly. She was hoping that people who went to McKinley didn't see them hanging out over the summer and assume they were dating, spreading it around. Not that she had anything to hide or be ashamed of. She just didn't like people in her business.

"Nobody. You guys have been hanging out all summer. And you did tell us that you think he likes you," Brittany explained.

"We only hung out a few times, Britt. And we're not dating. We're just friends."

"Alright."

Santana could tell her best friends didn't believe her for a second, but she didn't feel like trying to convince them otherwise right now. Practice kicked their asses this morning and she was just too exhausted to go into it.

She saw Brian standing by the cafeteria and she gave him a small smile when their eyes met. "Hey you," he said when she finally reached him.

"Hey, what's up?"

"How was practice?"

Santana rolled her eyes. "Horrible. Coach tried to kill us as usual."

Brian chuckled. "You're tough, you'll be alright," he said playfully nudging her shoulder. "So I have first period Spanish with Mr. Shuester? Brian was scanning his schedule in his hands.

"Oh yeah Mr. Shue. He's the director of the Glee club I told you about."

"Right. And where's room 302?"

"Umm, on the third floor?" Santana replied sarcastically. She knew where he was getting at. He wanted her to walk him to class. But she liked messing with him.

"You're not funny."

"Says the one who's smiling."

"Would you be a kind saint and walk me to class, Santana?" Brian asked.

Santana rolled her eyes. "Fine."

"You know if you keep rolling your eyes, they will fall out one day."

That made Santana roll her eyes again and Brian cracked up. She led the way up to the third floor and walked down the hall toward room 302.

"Oh yeah I meant to tell you. My sister is moving to Lima sometime this week. My parents told me over the weekend," Brian mentioned as they walked.

"Oh your twin sister you told me about?" Santana asked. She remembered Brian mentioning that he had a twin sister one day they hung out.

"Yeah. She's gunna go to school here too. They got her enrolled last week."

"But didn't you say something about her not wanting to move to Ohio, that's why she stayed in Georgia?" Santana asked, confused. They stopped once they reached Brian's first period class.

"Yeah. I asked my parents what happened, but they told me they'd explain another time. I called my sister and asked her, but she said it's too much to explain over the phone and she'll tell me everything when she gets here. So I guess I'll figure it out soon enough," he shrugged.

"Oh ok. Well I'd better get going to my first period. I'll see you around," Santana told him as she walked away. "And try not to get lost," she teased.

"I'll try. Later."

The first day of school is always a breeze. Santana thought it would've been better if she didn't have to wake up at the crack of dawn for practice, but despite that, her day was good. She admitted to herself and only to herself that is was nice seeing some of the members of the Glee club that coach Sue made her, Brittany, and Quinn join so they could spy on them. She'd actually grown to like some of the members of the club and she enjoyed the safe environment the club seemed to create. But again, she'd never admit it out loud. She has three classes with her best friends and two with Brian, who seemed to have a good first day at McKinley, leaving with three girls' phone numbers.

"Three?" Santana asked as she burst into laughter. She thought in the back of her mind that maybe she should be jealous because he clearly liked her, but she didn't feel an ounce of jealousy. She was actually glad that Brian grabbed the attention of other girls. If anything, she thought it was hilarious.

"Hey, what's so funny?" He asked as they left the building and walked into the parking lot after school.

"You got three girls' phone numbers on your first day at a new school. That's pretty insane." Santana knew Brian was a catch, but she didn't think the girls would be throwing themselves at him on the very first day of school. "And I'm impressed."

"Whatever," Brian scoffed. He'd be lying if he said he was slightly disappointed that Santana didn't show at least a tiny hint of jealously. He wasn't interested in any of those girls..

"Wait, no I'm not impressed yet. Were any of them seniors?" Santana asked.

Brian thought for a moment as he recalled the digit gathering with the three girls from earlier that day. "I think two of them were seniors. One was a junior."

"Two seniors. Yes, I am officially impressed."

Brian shook his head at Santana's comment and casually draped his arm around her shoulder. Santana immediately tensed up at the close contact and this didn't go unnoticed by Brian.

"Sorry," he said as he removed his arm. There was a short uncomfortable silence afterward, until Brian broke it. "Why…why do you do that?" he asked hesitantly. He didn't want to upset her by asking, but at the same time, he wanted to know why Santana always froze or acted weird whenever he flirted with her or did things like put his arm around her or express other innocent types of affection. He didn't think he was coming on too strong, and he wondered if she acted this way with everyone that got a little close or if it was just him. He thought Santana was breathtakingly beautiful and he was pretty sure she got hit on a lot and that she had a flock of guys wanting to be with her, so the arm around the shoulder move should be nothing. Maybe he was wrong.

Santana kept walking, keeping her eyes fixated on her car straight ahead. "Uh, um.."

"Santana!" She heard her name being called and turned to the source of the voice. It was Mercedes, one of her Glee club friends, and boy was she happy to see her at this very moment.

"Mercedes, hey!" Santana greeted her friend and gave her a hug. How was your summer?"

"It was good. Yours?"

"Mine was good too." She turned slightly to Brian. "This is Brian Harper, my neighbor. He just moved to Lima a few months ago," she introduced.

"Hey, nice to meet you," Mercedes said politely.

"Hey, same here."

"How are you liking Lima and McKinley so far?"

"It's not too bad. Still getting to know the place," Brian responded.

"Oh please. Not too bad? Mercedes, Mr. Harper here left school today with three phone numbers," Santana informed.

Mercedes looked up at Brian. "Really? Check you out, mister." Brian blushed a little as he rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Well I'll see you around, Santana. I have to get going. It was nice meeting you Brian."

They said goodbye to Mercedes and Santana was hoping that Brian had forgotten about the question he asked before they were interrupted.

"So where's your car?" Santana asked.

Brian didn't forget about what they were talking about a few minutes ago, but he decided to let it go. He knew Santana didn't forget either, but he could tell she was relieved for the distraction and tried to change the subject. "I was actually hoping I could catch a ride with you. I've been having issues with my breaks so I had to take it to the shop. My dad drove me this morning."

"Oh, okay. Sure." Santana got her keys and unlocked the doors. She opened the back door on the driver side and tossed her backpack in the back seat, then hopped into the driver's seat.

The ride home was violently silent. Brian wanted to bring up the question he asked earlier and Santana prayed over and over in her head that he wouldn't bring it up and when she pulled up in front of the driveway of his house, she was glad he didn't.

"So what are you up to for the rest of the day?" Brian asked.

"Umm, nothing much. Didn't get any homework, so I'm gunna relax and enjoy that while it lasts. What about you."

"My dad needs to me to finish clearing out the extra bedroom for when my sister comes, so I'll be pretty much doing that for the rest of the day and probably into tonight. We basically made that room into like a storage area, so there's a lot that still needs to go," Brian explained.

"Oh ok. Well good luck with that," Santana said with a grin.

"Yeah thanks," Brian chuckled. "See you tomorrow." He opened the passenger door and exited the car.

"Later," she called, then pulled off to drive a few yards down to her house.

As she entered her house, she found herself wondering about Brian's twin sister; if she was as cool and smart as him, or how much they resembled one another. She was always fascinated by twins, especially identical twins. She thought it was so cool, yet kind of scary how two people could basically have the same face. Santana knew that wasn't the case for Brian and his sister though. They were fraternal twins, obviously, but she was still curious to know what she was like and if she had much in common with her brother.

The second day of school was similar to the first, except Santana had practice after school instead of before school, which she appreciated so she could get more sleep. She couldn't say the same for Brian though. Word got out that Brian hit it off with the ladies on his first day and Dave Karofsky, one of McKinley's football players and the biggest douche bag of the school, gathered his flock of groupie teammates and called themselves trying to intimidate Brian, obviously jealous that the new guy was getting attention. And what made matters worse, one of the girls' number he received happened to be one of the players' girlfriend.

Santana was glad that while this was going down, she was on her way to the bathroom and stopped whatever they were going to do. She knew Brian was tough and could defend himself, but he was up against about 7 other guys, big football guys. It wouldn't have ended well for him.

"Hey Karofsky! Back off, will you?" Santana called from down the hall.

Dave glanced in Santana's direction briefly, then returned to glaring at Brian who stood tall against the lockers, not willing to show an ounce of fear.

"This doesn't concern you, Lopez," Karofsky growled.

Santana pushed through the doofy linebackers until she was standing alongside Karofsky and Brian. "I think it does. You see, Brian here is a friend of mine and he's off limits, okay? So why don't you and your little entourage go play catch or something, or go to class for once?"

Karofsky scoffed. "Since when are you and the newbie friends?"

"Since my parents knew his parents way before you were even an embryo and he became my neighbor. Now back off," Santana demanded sternly. She knew she couldn't stop Karofsky and his crew from terrorizing everyone in the school, but she made it her duty to protect her friends.

The football players reluctantly backed away slowly, keeping their eyes on Brian who still hasn't flinched. "I've got my eye on you, Freckles," Karofsky said before him and his group turned walk down the hallway.

Santana looked Brian over to make sure he wasn't injured. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good," He responded as he relaxed a bit. He was scared for his life, but he definitely wasn't going to let them know or see that.

"I'm sorry. I should have warned you about Karofsky and his clan. They're complete ass holes."

"It's cool. How did you do that, by the way?" Brian asked out of curiosity. How can the words of a 120-pound girl make a group of large football players heal?

"I'm one of the head cheerleaders. I'm popular. Nobody messes with me and that includes my friends," Santana said simply.

"Wow. My own personal bodyguard," Brian teased.

Santana rolled her eyes. "Get to class, Harper. I'm gunna go to the bathroom before I piss myself."

Brian chuckled. "Alright. Oh, and my sister's flying up today. I think my parents are gunna bring her over to say hi later tonight."

"Cool, I'll see you then. And you're welcome!" Santana called as she rounded the corner.

Brian shook his head as he smiled. "Thanks."

Later that night, Santana was relaxing in the living room after dinner when the doorbell rang. It was probably Brian and his family. Her mom was in the kitchen and called that she would get it. She stood up from the sofa and walked around it to lean on the armrest, waiting for her mom to invite Brian's family inside. Once they came into the living room, Santana greeted Brian and his parents. When she finally laid her eyes on the girl she presumed to be Brian's twin sister, her limbs suddenly froze and her mouth went dry. And when the shorter girl spoke, Santana felt like her ears were being seduced.

"Hi, I'm Dani."


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi all. Im so glad that you guys lile my new story. Your feedback means soooo much :)**

**Here's Chapter 2, enjoy!**

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_When she finally laid her eyes on the girl she presumed to be Brian's twin sister, her limbs suddenly froze and her mouth went dry. And when the shorter girl spoke, Santana felt like her ears were being seduced._

_"Hi, I'm Dani." _

Santana wasn't sure what came over her, but she snapped out of it quickly before anyone noticed. "Santana. Nice to meet you," She greeted with a smile.

Santana was blown away by how much Brian and Dani resembled each other. Duh, they were twins, but still. As she looked at Dani, she saw so much of Brian. They had the same adorable dimple located in the center of their chin, pretty light brown eyes, and the same skin tone. The only major difference was their height. Dani was significantly shorter than her brother, but Santana thought her height was just right.

Santana took another brief moment to look over Dani's appearance while their parents engaged in a little small talk. The shorter girl had hot pink hair with the left side shaved off. Santana thought Dani was the only person she's seen so far who pulled this hairstyle off nicely. She was dressed comfortably in a denim jacket covering a dark tank top, with black leggings and black Toms.

When Santana's eyes roamed back up Dani's body to her face, she caught her smiling at something her mom said. Her smile was similar to Brian's, very charming and almost hypnotizing, but there was something in Dani's smile that differentiated the two, something there to tell them apart.

"You guys are all grown up now, I can't believe it," Maribel, Santana's mother, said. "I remember when your parents sent us pictures of when you were little. I wish the three of you could have met each other sooner."

Santana's parents and the twins' parents all went to college together back in the day. After they graduated, the two couples went their separate ways to pursue their careers and never really got the chance to visit one another in between. They always kept in touch via email and the occasional phone call. Both pairs got pregnant during the same year and when their children were born they each sent tons of baby pictures.

"Yeah, they could've been like the three musketeers," Mrs. Harper added.

The three teens chuckled at Mrs. Harper's comment.

"Gwen, Larry, care to join us in the kitchen for a cup of coffee?" Santana's dad, Alex offered.

"Sure," they replied.

"Brian, Dani, feel free to make yourself at home. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask me or Santana," Maribel said with a smile, then led their parents to the kitchen.

Santana returned to her spot on the sofa while Brian took a seat next to her and Dani sat on the love seat to their right.

"Soo," the pink haired girl began. She looked at Santana with a grin. "You're the one my brother can't hush up about."

Santana looked over at Brian and snickered when she saw his eyes go wide and glare at his sister. "Am I now?"

"Yeah, I've heard quite a bit about you when I got here this afternoon."

"All good things, I hope," Santana replied.

"Oh yeah, all good things," Dani confirmed with a smile. Santana noticed another difference in their smiles. The shorted girl had the most adorable dimples in her cheeks and Santana almost melted at the sight. "You know he likes you, right?"

"Danielle, could you please stop talking," Brian gritted between his teeth, obviously embarrassed.

"What? I'm just stating the facts. And you know I go by Dani."

Santana sat in awkward silence between the twins for a few moments before she decided to change the subject. "So umm Dani, how are you liking Lima so far?"

"Well I've only been here a few hours, I flew in this afternoon, so I can't really determine if I like it here or not just yet," Dani answered.

Santana immediately felt stupid. That probably was a dumb question to ask. "Oh yeah. Right. Sorry."

Dani chuckled, "It's cool. Maybe you could show me around sometime. Give me a grand tour of the city that is Lima."

Santana smiled. She really liked the sound of that. From what she's witnessed so far, she could tell that Dani was a cool person and she found herself wanting to know everything about this girl. "Sure, I could do that."

"Great! How about this weekend?"

Santana took a second to think and make sure she didn't have any other plans and realized that she was free. "Sure. Sounds good."

"How come you couldn't ask me? I've been here for a few months and I've gotten familiar with the neighborhood," Brian chimed in.

"Well Santana's lived here like her whole life, right? I'd rather someone who's lived here for years show me around, than someone who's only been here a few months, baby brother," Dani retorted. "Plus, Santana is so much better to look at."

Santana could feel the heat rise in her cheeks at the other girl's words. She smiled to herself and tried not to let Dani or Brian see her blush by casually looking down and wiping the lint off of her pants. And then she looked up at Dani, confused.

"Baby brother?" She could've sworn it was already established that they were twins.

"Yeah, he was born 48 seconds after me, so technically I'm older," Dani explained.

Santana couldn't hold back her laugh. "Oh, I see."

"You and I may not be identical, but need I remind you that we do share a lot of the same features. So when you joke about my looks, you're also talking about yourself," Brian threw back in response to his sister's smart comment.

"Oh please. We all know I'm the better looking one."

"Is this like a regular thing between you two?" Santana interrupted as she laughed at their bantering.

Brian cut his eyes at his sister. "Not all the time, but we have our moments," he replied.

Santana smiled and looked back and forth between the twins she sat with. This is going to be really interesting, she thought.

When 9 oclock rolled around, Dani and Brian's parents called for them to get ready to leave. It was a school night after all and everyone had to get ready to get up the next day. Santana enjoyed sitting and talking with the twins and found their sibling rivalry to be quite hilarious.

"See you guys at school tomorrow. And it was nice meeting you, Dani," Santana said as they headed out.

"Nice meeting you too Santana. I'm gunna get your number from Brian and I'll text you about this weekend."

"Okay, cool." She and her parents stood at the door and waved goodbye to the Harpers and Santana grew excited as she thought about spending the day with Dani and showing her around town. As her excitement grew, she also felt an ounce of guilt wash over her. Santana's parents had to basically twist her arm to get her to show Brian around town, but the moment Dani asked, she almost immediately jumped at the opportunity. What was that about?

The rest of the week went by smoothly. Santana showed Brian and Dani the ropes of McKinley high and introduced them to her best friends. She was growing more and more disappointed as the week went along because didn't receive a text from Dani about their plan for the weekend, but she pushed that aside. She thought about bringing it up to Dani, but decided against it. She didn't want to seem too eager. She thought that maybe Dani had forgotten about it.

Friday night, Santana received a text message from an unknown number. **Hey san, its dani**, it read.

The brunette didn't even realize the instantaneous smile that appeared on her face once she read the message.

**Santana: Hey dani :)**

**Dani: How's your night going?**

**Santana: It's cool. Yours?**

**Dani: Same. So do you want to show me around tomorrow?**

The smile never left Santana's face.

**Santana: Sure. What time?**

**Dani: How about noon?**

**Santana: Noon sounds good. **

**Dani: Great! So I'll see you tomorrow :)**

**Santana: Yup. Gnite Dani :) **

Santana decided to get her tiny amount of homework out of the way before she relaxed for the rest of the night. Afterward, she called Quinn and Brittany and they talked all night like they usually did on Fridays. About a half hour into the conversation, Santana heard a beep, indicating that there was a call waiting. She looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Brian.

"Hang on guys, Brian is calling."

"Oooh Bri-"

Santana rolled her eyes and switched the calls before her best friends filled her ears with oohs and ahhs.

"Hey Brian," she answered.

"What's up San? Are you busy?"

"Yeah, I'm on the other line with Britt and Q."

"Oh ok. Well I just wanted to ask you something really quick, then I'll let you go," Brian began. Santana detected a hint of nervousness in his voice and wondered what it was he wanted to ask her.

"Okay."

"So uh…I wanted to know if you would umm…go on a date with me tomorrow."

Santana had always wondered when Brian would ask her out on a date, but she wasn't expecting it now. There was no real reason why she should say no. Wait, yes there was.

"Oh. Um. Didn't Dani tell you? I'm going to show her around Lima tomorrow."

"Yeah I spoke to her. You guys are going around noon right? I figured we could umm, go tomorrow night?"

Santana paused for a moment, then remembered that she had Quinn and Brittany on the other line and didn't want to keep them waiting too long. Then she thought going on a date with Brian wouldn't hurt. "Sure," she said with a smile.

"Really? I-I mean, great. I'll pick you up at 8."

"Cool."

"Alright, I'll let you get back to your besties. Text you tomorrow."

Santana chuckled. "Alright. Later."

She switched the call back to her friends. "Ok, I'm back."

"So what did he want?" Quinn immediately asked.

"He asked me out on a date, if you must know," Santana answered.

And for the rest of the night was full of Santana's eyes rolling from her annoying best friends about her date tomorrow night.

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**As you know, your feedback and reviews are always welcome! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi guys. Your reviews are great and Im glad you're liking the story!**

**Here's Chapter 3, enjoy :)**

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Santana was up bright and early the next morning. After showering, she took a decent amount of time picking out her clothes.

"Ugh, why am I putting so much effort into this? I'm only going to show her around town," she said to herself as she stood in front of her open closet in nothing but her underwear.

If anything, she should be worrying about what she was wearing later on that night when she went on her date with Brian. But she found herself not thinking about that as much as her time with Dani in a few hours.

After another five minutes, Santana grabbed a pair of comfortable jeans and a long sleeved, plain black shirt. She put on her socks and slipped into her crocks until it was time to go. She smelled breakfast cooking downstairs and made her way to the kitchen.

"Mija, you're awake before noon on a Saturday?" Santana's mom asked, surprised.

She rolled her eyes wholeheartedly at her mother's teasing. But she was right. The Latina was definitely not a morning person, so she cherished the weekends when she gets to sleep past 7am. But for some reason, her body had woken her up at 8am on the dot, excited for her day with the new girl a few doors down who peaked her interest so much. And for what reason, she hadn't the slightest idea.

"Morning mami. Where's dad?" She asked as she leaned on the counter in the kitchen and grabbed a slice of bacon from the plate full beside her.

"He'll be back soon, he had to run a few errands. Why are you up so early?" The older woman asked as she flipped pancakes on the stove.

"I'm gunna show Dani around town today."

Santana glanced at her mother and noted how her eyebrows raised. "Well that's nice of you, mija. I see we didn't have to twist your arm this time."

"Yeah, yeah." Santana was relieved her mom didn't question it any further. She opened the fridge and frowned. "No orange juice?"

"Your dad is supposed to be picking some up on the way home."

As if on cue, a key was wiggling in the front door and in walked Alejandro.

"Morning papi. Did you bring orange juice?" Santana asked as her dad walked into the kitchen. His eyes widened as if he saw a ghost.

"What are you doing up this early, San?"

Santana's face went flat. Was it that much of a surprise that she was awake on a Saturday morning?

"She's showing Dani around town today," the older woman informed.

Santana's dad sat the bags he carried onto the island in the kitchen and began to take out the items within. "Oh, it's nice of you to do it willingly this time," he said with a smile.

"Yes, mom already said so." As soon as she spotted the orange juice, Santana grabbed it and helped herself to a glass. Once her mom finished the pancakes, she helped set the table for breakfast.

The doorbell rang at 12pm on the dot and Santana made a beeline for it. She glanced at her appearance in the mirror briefly then proceeded to open the door, finding Dani on the other side. She was dressed casually with blue skinny jeans, a t-shirt, and converses.

"Hi San. You ready?" Dani greeted.

Santana slightly blushed at the other girl calling her by her nickname. "Yeah, lets go." She grabbed her house keys from the hook by the front door. "Later!" She called to her parents as she walked out.

Dani began to walk toward Santana's car and the taller girl chuckled as she continued to walk to the sidewalk. The pink haired girl watched Santana walk away from her car, clearly confused.

"Uhh, you're not driving?"

The darker girl shook her head. "Nope. I figured we'd walk."

"Walk?" Dani asked with her eyebrows raised high into her hairline.

Santana giggled at the other girl's expression. "Yes. I feel if you're in the car, you wouldn't get the full view of the neighborhood. If we walk, you can freely look around without windows and doors and buttons in the way." Being in the car would also cut their time together in half and Santana didn't want that, but of course she kept that part to herself. She still didn't know what it was that made her drawn to this girl.

"I guess you're right," Dani replied as she joined Santana a few feet away on the sidewalk.

"You're lucky I wore my comfy shoes."

"Well if you didn't, I guess you would've had to go back home and change then, now would you?" Santana shot back.

"You're also lucky I live less than two minutes away from you."

Santana chuckled. "I guess I'm just a lucky girl."

Dani grinned and bumped her shoulder against the taller girl as they began to walk down their street slowly. They walked in silenced for a few moments and Santana didn't know why she started growing nervous. She was rarely nervous around people. Maybe it's because she really wanted Dani to like her. Santana knew that she was known for having a slight attitude problem, well maybe not slight, but she didn't think she was a bad person. She told people the truth about themselves whether they liked it or not and she liked to keep it real. She may lose her temper at times, but only when seriously provoked. Other than that, the Latina believed she was a good person overall.

Santana has only known Dani for a little less than a week, but from what she gathered so far, she could tell Dani was fun and interesting and she really wanted them to be good friends. After a few minutes of silence, Santana pushed her nervousness aside and decided to speak up.

"So how are you liking McKinley so far?"

"It's pretty cool. My classes aren't too bad, and the school spirit is pretty impressive. Do you guys have to wear your cheerleading uniform _everyday_?" Dani asked, emphasizing her last word.

Santana rolled her eyes and smiled. "Whatever coach Sue demands, we have to obey, or we suffer the consequences."

"That woman seems very…horrible," Dani commented.

Santana laughed. "You'll come up with plenty more adjectives to describe her as the year goes along." She motioned for them to turn right once they reached one of the main streets of the neighborhood what were lined with an array of stores and shops. Santana pointed out all of the places that mattered, giving brief histories and reviews. She shared small stories of her childhood that were associated with almost every location. Within about 25 minutes, they were approaching the area of their high school.

"And here's Breadstix, they serve the best pasta and breadsticks in town, hands down," Santana said passionately. "They have specials and discounts for the McKinley students because we're like the most loyal customers. It's always jam packed with students every day after school."

"Is this where Brian is taking you later tonight?" Dani asked with a smirk.

Santana had honestly forgot her date later that night with Brian. She was about to ask how she knew about it, but then she remembered. They live together for Christ sake. She hasn't spoken to him today and when he asked her, he didn't really have much time to give her any details.

"I don't know, he didn't say." The taller girl honestly didn't really want to talk about her date right now.

"The Lima Bean? Ahh I see what they did there," Dani said when her eye caught the coffee shop across the street from where they were walking.

Santana was relieved that the subject was changed. "Yeah that's another regular spot of mine. They have great coffee." An idea popped into Santana's head. "How about we take a short break and grab a cup?"

"Sure, I could go for some coffee," Dani said with a smile.

They made their way across the street and into the coffee shop. They walked onto the line and Santana glanced at Dani for a second as she scanned the menus that were displayed high on the walls above all of the coffee machines and equipment. A small smile played on her lips as she admired the other girl's features.

"So is there a usual drink that you order when you come here?" Dani asked, looking over at Santana.

Santana quickly looked away, hoping Dani didn't catch her being a total creep. "Umm yeah. I usually order a caramel macchiato or a chai tea latte."

"Hmm, a caramel macchiato sounds good. I'll try that."

After getting their drinks, they found an empty table to sit at.

"How do you like it?" Santana asked Dani, referring to her drink after she took a sip.

"It's really good."

"Sometimes I get it iced too."

"That sounds amazing, I may try that one next time."

They engaged in light conversation as they nursed their drinks. Santana wanted to learn more about the pink haired girl and decided to start with why she moved to Lima.

"So Brian told me that you didn't want to movie to Lima, that's why you stayed in Georgia with your grandparents. Did you change your mind?"

Dani let out a sigh and sat back in her seat. "Yeah, I didn't want to move. I was happy that my dad got a promotion, but I wasn't happy that he had to move all the way to Ohio."

"That's understandable," Santana added. "So what happened that you ended up moving here anyway? If you don't mind me asking.."

Dani flashed a small smile. "I don't mind you asking. My grandparents caught me making out with a girl in the basement and all he'll broke loose," she explained.

Santana's eyes went wide. Does this mean Dani is gay? "You're gay?" She blurted out without realizing until after the fact. She froze as she looked across the table at the pink haired girl.

"Yes I am," Dani giggled. "Is that a problem?"

"No! No, no, not at all." Santana was hoping she sounded convincing because she had absolutely no issues with it. A few members of the glee club were gay and she actually commended them for being out and proud about it. Karofsky and his crew constantly tortured the gay people in school and their strength was admirable. "So uhh, what do you mean all hell broke loose?"

Dani sipped her coffee as she recalled what happened back home. "They almost had a heart attack, like they've never seen two people kissing before. Then they were shouting a whole bunch of nonsense about sin and shame and blasphemy, blah blah. They immediately called my parents and told them about what happened and demanded that I move to Lima with them and here I am."

Santana sat there looking at Dani, stunned. "Wow. I'm really sorry."

Dani shrugged. "It's cool I guess. I did miss my parents and my brother, so I guess it worked out. I can always call and Skype my friends and family back home."

"Did your parents and Brian know that you're gay?" Santana asked curiously.

"No. I hadn't told them yet. And that wasn't how I wanted them to find out either, but it's out now and there's nothing I can do about it."

"What about the girl you were making out with? Was she your girlfriend? What did she do when you guys got caught?"

"No, she wasn't my girlfriend."

Santana felt slightly relieved, and like always, she never knew why she felt certain things when it came to this girl.

"She was someone who I liked from school and we were just messing around. As soon as my grandparents found us and started their scream fest, she bolted upstairs and out the door." Dani laughed when Santana rolled her eyes.

They continued talking, even long after they finished their drinks. Santana learned that Dani played guitar and sang in a band back home and she told her that she should try out for glee club. She also learned that the pink haired girl like to dye her hair often. She looked forward to seeing the different looks the shorter girl would sport. Santana told Dani her love for cheerleading, singing and dancing, and shared a few of her infamous McKinley stories.

"Alright. I know you don't want to spend the whole day in a coffee shop, so shall we finish with the tour?" Santana asked as she stood up.

"Actually, I like it in here and I like talking to you," Dani replied with a smile, looking up at the brunette.

Santana blushed slightly under the shorter girl's gaze. "I do get that a lot," she boasted.

Dani rolled her eyes and laughed as she stood up from her seat. "Cocky much?"

"I'm confident, not cocky," Santana corrected.

"Yeah, whatever you say."

Santana continued the tour around Lima and was definitely more relaxed around the shorter girl than she was earlier. Their conversations seemed to flow easily and Santana liked Dani's feistiness. Whenever she made a smart remark or comment, Dani was quick with a comeback. She didn't take anyone's crap, just like her brother.

At 4 o'clock Santana reluctantly began to lead them back home. They'd walked all over Lima and even a little into the next town over. They visited in a few stores, parks, and other sites and Santana genuinely enjoyed her time with Dani. Now it was time for her to get ready for her date with Brian. As she thought about that more, she wondered where he was taking her. She had to dress accordingly to where ever they were going.

"So your brother didn't mention where he was taking me tonight?" Santana asked as they rounded the corner of their street.

"Nope, just that he finally asked you to go on a date with him," Dani chuckled. "Maybe it's a surprise."

"I don't like surprises."

"You suck. I love surprises."

"You suck," Santana quipped back.

"Only tits and clits, not dicks."

Dani burst into a fit of laughter when Santana nearly died from choking on air that hitched in her lungs after hearing what she said.

"I can't believe you said that!" The taller girl said in between coughs.

Dani was still laughing as they stopped in front of the driveway of her house.

"Stop laughing!"

"I'm trying!" Dani did her best to compose herself and finally got control of her laughter.

"You're something else," Santana said once she could breath again.

Dani proudly smiled at her. "Thanks for today. I had fun."

"No problem. Me too." Santana didn't want to end their day together, but she had to get ready for her date with Brian and she was pretty sure Dani had other things to do.

"Would you like me to do some digging and find out where Brian is taking you?" Dani offered with an evil smile that Santana found very attractive.

The taller girl grinned as she thought about it. "No that's okay. I'll text him and ask."

"Mmkay. I'll see you later?"

"Yeah." Santana was glad when Dani moved in to hug her. They embraced for about 2 seconds and pulled away. She knew it was weird, but all day she really wanted to smell Dani's hair. It smelled like coconut. She loved coconut.

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